F1 News: Alex Albon Worries For 2024 Season - "They Will Remain In the Top 10"
Alex Albon has expressed concerns about Williams' prospects for the 2024 F1 season after a disappointing opener in Bahrain. The Thai driver warned that the top teams would likely maintain their advantage throughout the year.
Key Takeaways:
- Alex Albon worried about Williams' competitiveness in 2024 season
- Suggested top 5 teams will remain comfortably ahead of midfield rivals
- Cooling issues and strategy errors hampered Williams' race in Bahrain
Despite a respectable 13th place in qualifying, the 2024 Formula 1 season got off to a frustrating start for Alex Albon and Williams in Bahrain. The Thai driver could only manage 15th in the race, prompting worries that scoring points consistently may prove extremely difficult this year.
In a sobering assessment speaking to Motorsport.com, Albon indicated the gap to the leading teams could leave Williams adrift in the lower midfield:
"Everyone has made a step, but it's all relative. At the moment the top five teams are further ahead than the rest. As long as they remain consistent and don't have technical problems, they will remain in the top ten."
The 27-year-old felt Williams were only really competitive in the opening stint in Bahrain before fading. Cooling issues similar to those afflicting Mercedes hampered their race pace.
"It's partly due to the fact that we drove less due to the problems during the test days. We were only driving in the clean air before and the engine was now overheating very quickly. We lost a lot of time because we had to scale back the engine and had to keep their distance from the competition," Albon explained.
He also felt Williams missed opportunities with their strategy, pitting too late and losing valuable track position. Electronic gremlins hampering their ability to manage key systems like cooling added to their woes.
“If the engine overheats, that should be the first thing. Problems with fuel and overheating should be the priority,” Alex said speaking on aspects of the car to improve. "The team asked me to make adjustments, but there was an alarm on the screen. I couldn't do anything. If you can't do anything about the overheating problems, it's very frustrating."
Albon's comments suggest Williams may face an uphill battle to regularly challenge for the lower points-paying positions barring a major step forward in development. If this is true, it could be a very long season for the Grove-based team.